


Cracked

by nothingeverlost



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 04:40:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1332223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothingeverlost/pseuds/nothingeverlost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You have to break the egg before you can get to the yolk.”  He giggled again, and she both hated and loved the sound.  He was alive, but he wasn’t looking at her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cracked

**Author's Note:**

> AU after the end of 3.13 'Witch Hunt'

It was easy to underestimate the librarian when there was an Evil Queen, a Savior, and royalty to battle. The witch was attuned to magic users and expected the boldness of challenges and demands. She did nothing to ward off a simple maid who walked through the woods like one well used to not drawing attention to herself. She did even less to lock the cellar door once she left. The wasn’t even a padlock, though Neal had taught her a few things about lock picking.

Belle was hoping to discover something that might help them to find out about the mystery that was the last year, or to protect themselves from this new threat. She wasn’t expecting much, not from an unlocked hiding place, but she’d learned long ago that sometimes it was the small overlooked things that made a difference. She’d also learned to be a little more cautious, and crept down the stairs with a sword in one hand.

“Realized that you forgot to add the worms, did you dearie? Too bad it’s all gone.” Belle almost dropped her sword. She knew that voice, but it was impossible. He was dead. He’d been dead for a year.

“Better luck next time.” It was the giggle, high pitched and without mirth, that sent Belle running down the stairs. She didn’t care about impossible, no one in any world could sound just like that.

“Rumple.” A few steps from the bottom of the stairs and she was running into a metal cage. It she could have torn it apart with her hands she would have; her love was inside. The room was dim but she didn’t need anything more than the barest light to know him. “You’re here. You’re alive.”

“Not here. Not there.” He pointed, one hand at the ceiling, one at the floor. “Things that are not dead aren’t always alive.”

“Rumple, sweetheart, it’s me.” He wore the mask of Mr. Gold, but it was slipping. For the first time in years or decades she saw the man that she’d first met in her father’s castle. Belle reached for the tools Neal had given her and started on the lock on the door. She had to get him out.

“Of course it’s you. It always is, isn’t it?” His head cocked to one side as he looked at her, eyes darker. He squatted in the corner, half hidden by a spinning wheel. “Every night. Or day. Whenever she is gone. The egg has to be cracked.”

“Cracked?” She had to take a breath and focus, feeling a pin lock into place as she worked on the door. 

“You have to break the egg before you can get to the yolk.” He giggled again, and she both hated and loved the sound. He was alive, but he wasn’t looking at her. He seemed more the lonely man that enjoyed his reputation, rather than the man with whom she’d fallen in love.

“Sweetheart, I need you to help me. You can tell me about everything later, but I need you to come over here for now. I’m almost done and we need to run.” Was the with gone until morning? Would she be back in an hour? Belle had no way of knowing, and didn’t dare risk Rumple’s safety.

“She doesn’t understand that it won’t work. There’s nothing left to take.” He rocked up on his knees, waving slightly in the corner. “They never understand.”

“Rumple, please, I need you to come here.” She needed to touch him. He was too real to be anything other than himself, but she was scared. Even though it wasn’t rational she needed to know that her hand wouldn’t go through his when they touched.

“Say pretty please,” he said in a sing song voice. 

“Please.” With a click the last pin fell into place and she could push the door open. “I need you, Rumpelstiltskin, and I think you need me too.”

“There’s a chicken in the fox house.” He skitted backwards, returning to the corner he’d stepped away from. “Go away, dearie, you’re not needed here.”

“I’m not leaving without you.”

“You’re right about that.” The door to the cage swung shut on its own, locking with a click. From the shadows a puff of smoke became a woman, her skin green. “Look, Rumpelstiltskin, a new toy for you, If you’re good I might let you keep her.”

“You feed the madness and it feeds on you.” Rumple ignored her completely. Belle still moved closer to him. She had to trust in herself, that he wouldn’t hurt you.

“Feed on hope, Rumple. We’ll get out of here.” She had to believe it. ”We’ll be together.”


End file.
